In a secreted nook of the city, moments from the splendour of St Paul’s, St Bride’s Church on Fleet Street remains one of Wren’s most prominent buildings and the tallest of all his City churches – yet the neglected state of its distinct layered spire and eroded stonework suggest differently. Without £2.5 million for crucial maintenance, this Grade I listed building might be forced to close – destroying the life of a historic building visited seven days a week by an active congregation of residents, local business people and visitors from around the world.

ING MEDIA is delighted to be supporting St Bride’s in a new campaign called the INSPIRE! Appeal to raise money from the congregation and visitors, as well as local businesses and the media, to help save this historical landmark. The appeal will be officially launched on 21^st March 2012, with a lecture by well-known Wren author and historian Adrian Tinniswood, and a dedicated fundraising working group has been set up under the chairmanship of Paul Finch OBE, Chairman of Design Council Cabe.

After the Great Fire of London, Wren was commissioned to design St Paul’s Cathedral along with 56 City Churches to replace those lost in the destruction – creating an exalting skyline of booming spires, 23 of which still remain to define the cityscape of our Capital today. Locked between the gilded corporate towers of Fleet Street, the enduring magnificence of St Bride’s still proclaims Wren’s presence within the City. Its elegant 226-foot high spire, famed to have inspired the traditional tiered wedding cake design, stretching skywards more than three centuries after its completion in 1703.

However, St Bride’s may have survived lightning attacks and WW2 firebombs, but centuries of erosion from weather, pollution and construction vibrations from the ever-changing city skyline have taken their toll. The church’s characteristic grey Portland limestone is streaked with decay and fractures, whilst shifting stonework and falling debris makes the area increasingly hazardous.

Sitting on the remains of seven previous churches dating back two thousand years, every inch of St Bride’s is alive with historical life. As part of our work on the campaign, ING MEDIA recently invited Kieran Long, architecture critic for the London Evening Standard for a tour of its secrets – a trip that took us from the depths of the crypts to the peak of the spire, from soil to sky. St Bride’s unveiled pieces of mosaic flooring from the Roman city, remnants of medieval foundations and the skeletal remains of hundreds of ancient Londoners – whilst panoramic views across London awaited us at the summit following an ascent through the darkened, spiralling stairways within the steeple.

Historically, London’s churchyards have played an influential role in our society, providing spheres for political, religious and intellectual engagement – something still visible in the news today, where demonstrations at St Paul’s Cathedral have transformed a site of contemplation and tourist admiration into a space of political agency. Five hundred years ago, St. Bride’s was at the centre of another form of social action – the dissemination of the written word – when William Caxton’s assistant, Wynkyn de Worde, brought England’s first moveable-type press to the churchyard in 1501.

Since then St Brides, or the ‘Cathedral of Fleet Street’ has developed a strong association with the print trade, with generations of British journalists and writers from Shakespeare to Dickens frequenting its grounds – and remains a vital presence within the publishing community today. As Kieran points out in his article, Wren’s church is a poignant reminder of the media’s connection with Fleet Street and during a time in which the voice of the media faces close public scrutiny, it might be beneficial to remind ourselves of the democratic importance of the published word.

History aside, the fact of its creation by one of the world’s greatest architects should be motive alone for its salvation. Wren has long been elevated to the status of national icon, his status within our national identity crystallised by the imprintation of his face on our currency – it’s a shame none of those banknotes weren’t ascribed to save his work. For despite our fetishism with the ‘cult of Wren’, not a single Wren society exists in the UK (unlike the US) and vital aspects of our British history are quietly crumbling into decay from within the very financial heart of our capital.

According to Adrian Tinniswood, Wren once wrote that ‘Architecture aims at eternity’, an ambitious notion considering the transient nature of today’s built environment – and yet, considering the power Wren’s work still retains over our nation, it is one that shouldn’t be dismissed. Kieran remarked that this is a place where the past and present are never too far apart, let’s hope we can help ensure it holds a future as well.

More than 100 representatives from across architecture, construction and property turned up to hear about some of the amazing work this charity is doing in Burkina Faso and Haiti. Presentations were short, interesting and – perhaps most importantly – varied. They included Olympic triple jumper Larry Achike sharing his thoughts on setting goals and Connie Henry from Track Academy a London-based educational, mentoring and sports charity who reminded the audience that there are worthwhile causes close to home that also need our support.

Plenty of time was given to the advertising activity – networking – but most of the post-presentation buzz seemed to be about how people could get involved. I certainly came away with a head full of ideas about how I and ING MEDIA could support the work of Article 25, and have already got a follow up meeting in the diary.

As memories of Christmas cheer and New Year celebrations recede and January draws to an end, it is important for businesses to retain a broad view and look ahead to 2012 with focus and ambition. In tough economic times it is even more important for architectural and design practices to establish themselves as distinct from their competitors and to ensure their public identity is supporting business goals.

Many architects see little distinction between the work they do across a wide range of building types. In terms of publicity this presents a problem – it’s much more straightforward to promote an outspoken education specialist than someone who just does everything. Architects must decide how to prioritise their business goals to be able to communicate a clear message. What makes you different from the rest of the marketplace? By focusing on two or three key sectors and targeting specific media accordingly, your chances of long term success are vastly improved.

Architectural PR is not just about peer review and having each project studied in the monthly trade press. This is important, but equally important is the ability to penetrate outside the sphere of architecture and design and into both the mainstream press and sector specialists, be it health, education, retail or workplace. What are the reasons that the buildings you are designing are being built in the first place? These are the issues that will connect you to the world outside the architectural bubble.

A good communications strategy is internal as well as external. If a strong sense of identity runs through the practice, the easier it is to communicate to the world. If your employees feel proud to share the company ethos they become your natural publicity agents and furthermore this will ring true to the outsider. That said, it is important to identify key spokespeople who are experts in their field and can build a company’s reputation in target sectors. Don’t be scared to have a voice – be guided by your principles and you will stand out from the crowd.

Whether you carry out public relations in house or out source to an agency such as ING MEDIA, an important psychological barrier to overcome is about making time for public relations. The PR strategy should be a fundamental aspect of your business plan and its fulfilment should be a natural extension of your everyday work not a chore to be dealt with at some point in the future.

There is no public relations wand that you can wave for instant success. It takes graft. It is about building personal relationships with the media, making connections between your projects, your clients and the world around you. Think beyond yourself, be generous, engage with not only the design community but the public at large. Invite that journalist who mentioned you to lunch. Informal, low-pressure settings are the best places to build relationships.

A PR strategy can be implemented in a number of ways and a careful consideration of what channel is appropriate for a specific task is key. Social media is a burgeoning area for architects, with many websites now conforming to the ‘blog effect’, eschewing the wizzy graphic for quality text context that is updated regularly. This not only maximises search engine optimisation (SEO) but makes for an engaging user experience. A social media strategy can be a natural extension of this blog-like approach and an opportunity to make your voice heard in the landscape.

With any new client we will start by undergoing an intensive audit of the practice’s work, philosophy, business plan and marketing and media activity. Competition for work will be fierce in 2012 and I urge all architectural practices to take a step back, decide what is important and integrate pro-active PR and communications into the everyday life of architectural practice.

 Short term, the strategy worked: tables were filled and even celebrities and sports stars took advantage of cut-price deals.

 It seemed like a win-win situation; consumers were able to afford life’s little luxuries at lesser costs, and suppliers could boost footfall and hopefully maintain a steady stream of trade during a difficult time. 

However, the market is now experiencing the aftermath of the surge in popularity of these kinds of discounts. The longer term effects are not as rosy and for suppliers and consumers alike, it is becoming clear that there really is no such thing as a free lunch.

There is a growing choice of outlets supplying the voucher fix, each sending tempting daily messages straight to email inboxes. Despite recent complaints and subsequent controversies involving  small businesses and an OFT investigation around alleged advertising infringements, Groupon is still the biggest player, with over 142 million global subscribers across 45 countries, and over 1,000 deals each day.

 In a typical deal model, the discount provider takes a 50% cut from the businesses it features – but often only showcases deals that offer a minimum 50% reduction in the first place. This means that businesses will get 25% of the full price of their goods or services, at best.

Such discounts have ensured “voucherholics”, who rarely find themselves without a voucher for even the smallest of everyday purchases, are a growing breed. Consumers have now become accustomed to paying less with an increasing number resolved not to pay full price for almost anything.

However,  although understandably addictive, many of these so-called “deals” don’t always offer value for customers with businesses often forced to provide a lesser service simply to cope with the demand. 

Far from its intended purpose, discounting can weaken a brand, particularly those within the high-end, quality food & restaurant sector. A lower price alters consumer perception and market position, and can even encourage customer disloyalty as they strive to seek out their next bargain deal. 

While slashing prices might seem like a good way to entice new customers to try a brand, it can be detrimental in the long run, and weaning consumers off cheap deals is virtually impossible.

At ING MEDIA, our experience tells us that it is often better to use strategies such as offering a consistent, quality product or service at a fair, transparent price, and rewarding customers for loyalty rather than offering deals. As explained in our Life After Launch post, the best PR campaigns consider long-term objectives – which discount vouchers may not.

This is a common concern we hear from potential new clients who have lost confidence with their previous PR agency, and have come to us for advice.

One of the most important lessons any PR will learn is that a campaign isn’t about a brief flurry of activity followed by a long dry spell but it’s about a long-term vision.  A successful PR campaign should secure coverage throughout the life cycle of the campaign, not just at its beginning.  It should provide a steady ‘drip feed’ of media coverage, delivering a constant flow of news, comment and announcements that strengthens, expands and embeds a brand and its key messages firmly in the psyche of its target audience.

We work with olive oil collective Nudo Adopt an olive tree.  The company officially launched back in 2005, and instantly received a high level of coverage. The story behind the brand, its lucrative range of olive oils and its unique Adopt an olive tree concept was brand-new, fresh and ‘newsworthy’ and catapulted the brand into the consumer sphere.

Seven years on, this story was no longer deemed new and it was our job to create fresh ideas to help the company take the ‘next step’. ING MEDIA used its ‘LeanBrand’ approach to ensure communications are clearly focused on Nudo’s business objectives.

Through targeted media relations, product placement, event planning, social media management and a partnership opportunity with leading patissier Will Torrent for National Baking Week, ING MEDIA achieved more than 100 pieces of print and online coverage across consumer and trade media in an six-month period.

More importantly, these results translated into sales success (July-Dec 2011 – 10):

•  48.6% increase in transactions
• 38.24% increase in Nudo adopt an olive tree sales
• 30.73% increase in year on year total online sales (£)  
• Prominent national coverage over the weekend (3^rd-5^th Dec 2011) saw a 75% jump in UK sales (Daily Mail – Weekend, Mail on Sunday – Live & Daily Express)

This approach relies on ING MEDIA’s creativity, industry know-how, a formidable journalist contact base, and drive in developing and reacting to the media agenda.  This provides content that genuinely offers something new and interesting, and assures a client of maximum return on investment.

Perusing the menu with my companion I admit I gulped a little at some of the prices. It’s the start of the New Year and we’re meant to be pinching our pennies. However, it was a special occasion so all frugality went out the window.

I urged my carnivorous companion to try the ribs but he was reluctant, saying he tended not to eat ribs in restaurants as they were often very lean with very little meat to get stuck into.

“See what the waiter thinks” I suggested to which he looked most uneasy saying “You can’t ask that.”

So I did. The waiter very happily answered me and subsequently the ribs arrived, sticky, sweet and brimming with tender meat. Delicious!

This episode led me to think about how frequently grown adults feel intimidated or unsure when in a restaurant setting. Coincidently, the very next day I read Matthew Fort’s column in the February issue of Sainsbury’s Magazine, I quote: ‘‘We Brits have always been a bit lily-livered when it comes to asserting our rights in restaurants.’

I wholeheartedly agree with Mr Fort and find it rather alarming that as a nation we are still not wholly comfortable with eating out, no matter where it is.

My firm belief is that whether you are eating at Nando’s or Nobu you should feel confident and assert your right as a consumer. You are paying to eat out and enjoy a meal. From the Maitre D’ to the door man, you should be made to feel at ease and welcome.

This doesn’t necessitate throwing your weight around with the waiter or giving the barman a telling off for putting one too many ice cubes in your Whisky. You can be polite and respectful but equally forthright and confident when it comes to complaining.

From Nando’s to Nobu you should feel free to complain if you’re not satisfied. I refuse to withhold a complaint from a lesser restaurant just because I’m paying £7 for my meal. People say ‘Well, what do you expect?’ But, I want that £7 chicken pitta to be as enjoyable an experience as my £70 Wagyu beef thanks very much.

There seems to be a growing tendency in the UK, with the surge in popularity of social media sites, to hide behind your computer screen and shoot off an inflammatory email or two, complaining about the chef at the local not wearing a hair net.

Social media is unquestionably a helpful tool but I genuinely believe that any restaurant proprietor worth their salt would much rather have a face to face conversation with you than be on the wrong end of an aggressive and accusatory tweet. Nine times out of ten they’ll ignore you if they realise you are not going to be harmful to their business and let’s face it with your 87 followers, are you?

But face to face they can’t escape – so as long as you are polite and remain calm you should get a decent response and maybe a free Bellini or frozen yoghurt in the case of Nando’s.

Laced throughout the Top Products Survey 2011, there are signs that quality foods are becoming increasingly popular with consumers. Despite challenging economic conditions and pressures on household budgets,  great quality products are shining through with impressive sales and growth figures.

For us at ING MEDIA, this is fantastic news as these are the products we like to work with. Our guiding principle is to ensure PR impacts the bottom line, helping every client we work with to achieve its business goals and objectives. But, we also don’t promote any product that we wouldn’t  eat ourselves.

GLORIOUS!, with its bold flavours created using quality ingredients, is the perfect example of a quality brand winning over shoppers, and another client we are proud to have helped grow.

As any good journalist knows though, there are always two sides to a story so here’s a list of our favourite media requests from 2011:

Not in the A-Z:

• One magazine guaranteed a good turnout by letting PRs know that it was hosting an event in London’s famous “Covert Garden”.

Other worldly experiences:

• Earlier this year, a journalist had PRs across the country racking their brains for a contact who had “literally been saved by experiences with angels”.

Stories we don’t want to read:

• Equally taxing was a media request for any dad we might know who had decided to ditch solid food and was trying to “survive on just his wife’s breast milk”.

And our absolute favourite:

• One staff writer wanted to be alerted to any top end priced “Wall Cocks in different shapes and sizes”. Unfortunately, no new models have been available from any of our clients this year.

Merry Christmas  from all of us at ING MEDIA, and have a wonderful New Rear.

For us it’s an easy decision, not only can we help people at what for many is a difficult time of year, but we can also do our bit to save a tree or two.

Choosing which charity to support isn’t such an easy decision, and each year members of the ING team suggest equally worthwhile causes before a vote decides the outcome.

This year, we will making a donation to Crisis, the national charity for single homeless people. Its Christmas Centres will provide hot food, shelter and company for an estimated 3,000 people this Christmas but that that is just one element of the support they provide all year round through education, employment and housing programmes.

Research shows homelessness is on the increase again and we think Crisis deserves all the support it can get.

Great news and hard evidence that the concerted, creative and targeted PR campaign ING MEDIA has delivered is paying dividends.

Measuring the return on investment in PR is not a straightforward process and over the years, the ING MEDIA team has come across and considered various methods, which have all stimulated lively debate.

To demonstrate their worth, agencies often rely on how many column inches a story gained, the number of items of coverage, the number of publications carrying the story, exposure (adding up the circulation/monthly unique figures) and the comparative cost of advertising.

While these are very useful indicators of success which many clients appreciate, the effect a particular PR activity has on long-term brand awareness is more tricky to quantify.

ING MEDIA believes evaluation is an essential conversation at the planning stage. The PR objectives for assessment need to be pre-agreed before the start of a campaign and tied into the overall business objectives.  This enables the PR team and clients to monitor the return of investment throughout and at the end of campaigns, and to assess whether the key messages are getting through to target audiences.

ING MEDIA’s Leanbrand approach is based on achieving measurable and tangible results that add real value. Yes, we embrace creativity, constantly brainstorm new ideas and seek out cutting-edge methods but we always make sure our activity is tied into business outcomes.